Solar Cooking And Other Helpful Tips

Can meat be cooked safely in a solar energy oven? How does the sun prepare your meals? These are just a couple of many questions that come up in my classes when individuals are 1st introduced to the concept of solar cooking. In fact they are probably two of the most frequently asked questions because of issues related to meals illnesses that are an inherent risk in food preparation, a lot more particularly when it comes to meat.

Most all professionally manufactured solar cookers are capable of reaching and sustaining the requisite temperatures needed to cook meats and all other types of foods. And most, well constructed, home made solar powered cookers can perform the same task just as well or better than a commercially manufactured cooker. So, just how does the sun prepare the food inside of a solar cooker? Solar energy food preparation is done by way of the suns UV rays, it is not the sun's heat that cooks the meals, nor is it the outside ambient temperature, though this particular could relatively affect the rate or time required to prepare, however rather it is the suns rays which are converted to heat energy and this particular heat electricity is then retained by the cooking pot and also the food by means of a covering.

In much the same way that a green house retains heat or a car with its windows rolled up. First, you will need a darkened or blackened pot with a lid. This could be a cooking pot just like a cast iron Dutch oven, a black enameled roasting pan like a chicken or turkey roaster or any cooking pot that you might blacken on the outside with a non-toxic, weatherproof paint.

Dark surfaces become very hot; they heat up a lot more quickly than shiny surfaces which reflect the suns rays away. Then you will need to obtain a clear transparent covering just like a large glass bowl or a durable plastic oven food preparation bag. This is going to be used for retention of heat and will furthermore allow the rays of the sun to be able to penetrate to the darkened food preparation pot and food, thus raising the cooking temperature and preventing the heat from escaping.

After that you will need a material that will reflect extra sunlight towards the food preparation apparatus so as to concentrate the suns rays. This specific is usually accomplished on the form of some kind of reflecting surface just like mirrors, aluminum foil and buffed tin or sheet metal. With the help of a reflecting surface you will be able to increase the temperatures and to cook the meals more rapidly.